In 7th Grade Math, we’ve done a lot more critical thinking and group work than last year. Last year, we were lead through a lot of stuff and guided through each lesson. This year, it was a lot more hands on. We had to make educated guesses (and I don’t mean estimates) of mathematical knowledge and show evidence and reasoning to show that our guess could be true. We did a lot of work in groups to help us, which I think helped me grow. This brings me to my growth that I experienced in Math, which is Collaboration.

 

For my first artifact to show my growth, I choose my poster for the Scale Factor Project in the Stretching and Shrinking unit. The Scale Factor Project was a project where we made a character through graphing, creating a table of coordinate points and a rule (x and y, usually the number next to them is the scale factor,(for example: 2x and 2y= scale factor is 2), and then made two images (the same shape changed by the scale factor by being bigger or smaller depending on the scale factor). We also made a repositioned character. Our group decided to reposition our original. The point of this project was to help us completely understand scale factor in a fun way. A really obvious piece of classroom content seen in this artifact is scale factor. Scale factor is the number by which a shape is changed to make a different sized shape. In scale factor, the shape is the same, it’s just the lengths of the sides that are changed. They are changed by the scale factor being multiplied by the original side lengths to get the scaled side lengths or the new side lengths for the image. Shapes do not always get bigger though. If you multiply by 1/2, it’s the same as dividing by two. So if you have a scale factor that is lower than one, you will have a smaller image. If you have a scale factor bigger than one, the image will be bigger. If you were to scale coordinates on a graph, the coordinates would increase or decrease depending on the scale factor. Scale factor is also used to help find how big or little a shape is compared to another shape. To find scale factor, you divide the side lengths of the image (shape changed by scale factor) by the original shape’s side lengths that are parallel to the image's side lengths. You can see Scale Factor in this artifact because the figures are the same shapes, just different sizes (especially with Bob and Jimmy). This shows growth because it helps show how all of our Collaboration increased. At the beginning of the project, I was really used to working by myself (mostly because of 6th Grade). At the beginning, we didn’t work as well because we struggled to work together well and we didn’t work as hard because we didn’t work together well. My group members would argue or waste time deciding on what we should do instead of actually working. But with realizations of our struggle, (one day we realized that we were a bit behind, and we were wondering if it was us) we tried to work better at working together. We used hard work to overcome it and work better as a group. We worked hard and tried our best together to succeed (although, we still haven’t gotten a grade yet due to complications).

 

For my next artifact, I choose my Partner Quiz for the Variables and Patterns unit. Variables and Patterns was a unit we went through to learn about variables and how to be able to compare variables using graphs, tables and equations. In other words, it talked about how one thing increased or decreased when another thing changed. Some classroom content seen in this artifact is not independent or dependent variables and plot graphs Plot graphs are shapes made on a graph that are formed by points. These points represent the independent and dependent variable. The independent variable on the graph is the number that increases at a steady rate, while the dependent variable is affected by the independent variable. You use the independent variable to be multiplied by the dependent variable, but not the other way around. You ALWAYS find the independent variable as the x (horizontal) axis and the dependent as the y (vertical) axis. You also always put the x axis on top. Plot graphs are used to show change of variables, so it is easier to see patterns. This artifact shows growth because of how I had to get used to new people. Last year in 6th Grade, we could just pick whomever we wanted to work with. This year, a lot of things have drastically changed. This year, instead of being with a lot of my old friends, I was assigned to different people. So, I had to adapt, work and figure out how I could work with the new people. And I still worked really well with them. Although, I did get a 10/20 on my partner quiz, I eventually got better at it, which leads to my next artifact.

 

My last artifact is the Partner Quiz for Accentuate the Negative. Accentuate the Negative was also another unit we had to go through to learn about negative numbers. We used mathematical operations to negative numbers like add them and multiply them to fully understand negatives. Some classroom content seen in this artifact is a number line. A number line is a graph of sorts that has only one axis and that shows how much a number is bigger or smaller than another number. If a number is farther right, it is greater. If a number is farther left, it’s lesser. Negative numbers will always stay on the left side of zero, and positive numbers will always stay on the right side, which shows that positive numbers are always greater than negative numbers. For example: a number line would look something like (-1)-(0)-(+1), where the negative is at the beginning, zero is in the middle and positive is at the end. Also, it only goes on one line. This artifact shows growth because we got a better score compared to the Partner-Quizzes before. Usually with the partner quizzes before, I would get slightly better over time, but nothing too big. I chose this quiz specifically because it is obvious that I had grown over time, since my score was 24.5/25 (which is much better than a 10/20). Since I had the first artifact earlier in the year and this more recent one, this could also show how I grew over time.

 

All of this growth in Collaboration will help me in the present, as well as the future. In the future, a lot of projects and goals are unable to be successfully made without teammates. With all the growth I had (which was listening to my group members, doing what they say and having them help me to be more efficient), I not only can work with people better but can also work with people I don’t know as well, too. But, I will have to continue this growth in order to be really good. To do this, I will have to work more with people I don’t work that much with and work with more people. Most of all, I think I have to focus the most on accepting other’s ideas, since I usually only do my ideas and have other people do my ideas.